Desert Storm Victor Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf R.I.P.

On the general's homecoming from Desert Storm in April 1991. Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image View Enlarged Image

Leadership: The hero of Desert Storm gave America a taste of victory after the wasted sacrifice of Vietnam and demonstrated that only the sometimes-unwise decisions of politicians can keep us from victory over our enemies.

Schwarzkopf, called "Stormin' Norman" because of his reportedly explosive temper, led America to two sorely needed military victories: a small one in Grenada in 1983 and a big one as de facto commander of allied forces in the Gulf War in 1991.

Grenada was the first step in a recovery from the legacy of Vietnam, where defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory in a war micromanaged by Washington bureaucrats thousands of miles away.

President Ronald Reagan brought a new philosophy to Washington — we win, they lose — and Norman Schwarzkopf was fine with that.

He earned three Silver Stars for bravery during two tours in Vietnam, gaining a reputation as a plain-spoken commander with a sharp temper who would risk his own life for his soldiers — first, as a U.S. adviser to South Vietnamese paratroops and later as a battalion commander in the U.S. Army's Americal Division. He earned three Silver Stars for valor — including one for saving troops from a minefield — plus a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and three Distinguished Service Medals.

Unlike many other career officers who left military service embittered by Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was among those who opted to stay and help rebuild the tattered Army into a potent, modernized all-volunteer force that under Reagan would return to its full and ominous potential.

It was that military that Schwarzkopf would lead to victory over Saddam Hussein's Iraq after it invaded Kuwait in August 1990. After a six-week aerial campaign, Schwarzkopf orchestrated a massive ground offensive from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, 1991, routing the Iraqis from Kuwait in 100 hours before U.S. officials called a halt.

In a brilliant maneuver renascent of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France, while the German Wehrmacht waited in vain at the Pas de Calais, Schwarzkopf launched what he called his "Hail Mary" play — moving a massive number of troops and tons of materiel far to the west at blitzkrieg speed, knowing the dug-in Iraqis were essentially immobilized along the Kuwaiti border.

Many questioned the decision to halt U.S. troops from marching straight to Baghdad. But Schwarzkopf understood President George H.W. Bush's need to stay within the confines of a U.N. mandate to keep together the coalition of some 30 countries he organized — even if that meant a tyrant would stay in power and war would resume more than a decade later. Schwarzkopf was a good soldier in more ways than one.

His judgment was not perfect, for in a desert tent meeting with vanquished Iraqi generals he acceded to a request that Iraq could retain use of its helicopters, said to be needed in the wake of a destroyed infrastructure. That later backfired by enabling Saddam to crack down more easily on rebellious Shiites and Kurds.

"Gen. Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises," Bush said in a statement authorized from his hospital bed. "More than that, he was a good and decent man — and a dear friend."

America always seems to find great men of great talent and courage at times of national need. Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf was no exception. He will be missed.

On the general's homecoming from Desert Storm in April 1991. Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image View Enlarged Image

Leadership: The hero of Desert Storm gave America a taste of victory after the wasted sacrifice of Vietnam and demonstrated that only the sometimes-unwise decisions of politicians can keep us from victory over our enemies.

Schwarzkopf, called "Stormin' Norman" because of his reportedly explosive temper, led America to two sorely needed military victories: a small one in Grenada in 1983 and a big one as de facto commander of allied forces in the Gulf War in 1991.

Grenada was the first step in a recovery from the legacy of Vietnam, where defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory in a war micromanaged by Washington bureaucrats thousands of miles away.

President Ronald Reagan brought a new philosophy to Washington — we win, they lose — and Norman Schwarzkopf was fine with that.

He earned three Silver Stars for bravery during two tours in Vietnam, gaining a reputation as a plain-spoken commander with a sharp temper who would risk his own life for his soldiers — first, as a U.S. adviser to South Vietnamese paratroops and later as a battalion commander in the U.S. Army's Americal Division. He earned three Silver Stars for valor — including one for saving troops from a minefield — plus a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and three Distinguished Service Medals.

Unlike many other career officers who left military service embittered by Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was among those who opted to stay and help rebuild the tattered Army into a potent, modernized all-volunteer force that under Reagan would return to its full and ominous potential.

It was that military that Schwarzkopf would lead to victory over Saddam Hussein's Iraq after it invaded Kuwait in August 1990. After a six-week aerial campaign, Schwarzkopf orchestrated a massive ground offensive from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, 1991, routing the Iraqis from Kuwait in 100 hours before U.S. officials called a halt.

In a brilliant maneuver renascent of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France, while the German Wehrmacht waited in vain at the Pas de Calais, Schwarzkopf launched what he called his "Hail Mary" play — moving a massive number of troops and tons of materiel far to the west at blitzkrieg speed, knowing the dug-in Iraqis were essentially immobilized along the Kuwaiti border.

Many questioned the decision to halt U.S. troops from marching straight to Baghdad. But Schwarzkopf understood President George H.W. Bush's need to stay within the confines of a U.N. mandate to keep together the coalition of some 30 countries he organized — even if that meant a tyrant would stay in power and war would resume more than a decade later. Schwarzkopf was a good soldier in more ways than one.

His judgment was not perfect, for in a desert tent meeting with vanquished Iraqi generals he acceded to a request that Iraq could retain use of its helicopters, said to be needed in the wake of a destroyed infrastructure. That later backfired by enabling Saddam to crack down more easily on rebellious Shiites and Kurds.

"Gen. Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises," Bush said in a statement authorized from his hospital bed. "More than that, he was a good and decent man — and a dear friend."

America always seems to find great men of great talent and courage at times of national need. Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf was no exception. He will be missed.

See Also

Leadership: Among the world's gamier states, there seems to be a new status quo: Kill your opponent. The murder of Boris Nemtsov is the latest such barbarism. It all suggests a void from the U.S. as leader of the free world.The brazen broad-daylight assassination of Nemtsov, a former Russian vice ...

Economy: In his weekly address, President Obama railed against Wall Street for giving "bad advice" that costs American families billions a year. OK, but what about his bad policies that have cost them far more?The president used his precious radio time to lash out at financial advisers for mistakes ...

Cities: The problem with socialism, Margaret Thatcher once noted, is you eventually run out of other people's money. In progressive Chicago, that's hit home as Moody's has cut its credit rating to two grades above "junk."Chicago's finances are staggering under the weight of an unfunded pension ...

Racial Politics: Attorney General Eric Holder complains that the U.S. needs a "lower standard of proof" to enforce civil-rights laws. Standards have already sunk under his "disparate impact" witch hunt. How low is enough? In an exit interview with Politico.com, the outgoing AG asserted, "Some ...

We recently launched the Committee to Unleash American Prosperity with the goal of persuading the presidential hopefuls in both parties to focus on the paramount challenge facing our country: slow growth and stagnant incomes. Faster growth isn't just needed to raise the living standards of ...

Select market data is provided by Interactive Data Corp. Real Time Services. Price and Volume data is delayed 20 minutes unless otherwise noted, is believed accurate but is not warranted or guaranteed by Interactive Data Corp. Real Time Services and is subject to Interactive Data Corp. Real Time Services terms. All times are Eastern United States. *Reflects real-time index prices.